Small Business Cybersecurity Training Program Scales Nationwide
Small Business Cybersecurity Training Program Scales Nationwide
https://www.govtech.com/security/small-business-cybersecurity-training-program-scales-nationwide
Publish Date: 2026-04-03 17:58:00
Source Domain: www.govtech.com
A cybersecurity training program aimed at helping small businesses — particularly mom-and-pop shops — better protect themselves from online threats is now available nationwide.
The six-year-old North Star Cybersecurity Certification Program, created by the Delaware Small Business Development Center (SBDC), is a comprehensive training program designed to equip SBDC business advisers and partners with the tools to help small businesses improve their cybersecurity awareness, co-founder Jake Blacksten said.
The SBDC is housed in the University of Delaware and supported by state and federal funding, but the certification program is now delivered through the national SBDC network, comprised of 1,200 centers nationwide. It is a no-cost training that has trained more than 235 advisers so far.
Blacksten said the hope is that the advisers go into their communities and have “genuine conversations” with small businesses there about protecting their systems. Many businesses seem to know the importance of cyber and have specific questions they’d like to ask experts.
Advisers also face practical constraints. With limited time to collaborate with clients, many have been hesitant to introduce complex topics like cybersecurity, which can take up an entire session. By basing the training on the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework, North Star provides a common language to approach cybersecurity while giving businesses actionable steps.
Small businesses, embedded in local communities, face growing cyber risks — including ransomware, credential theft and phishing — but lack the resources of larger firms. Their sheer numbers, and the fact that many are sole proprietorships, make them frequent targets.
In addition, cybersecurity is increasingly tied to practical requirements like insurance, Blacksten said. Insurers now often require businesses to assess their cyber practices…
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